


want you (to unravel me)

by IzzieBee



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Enthusiastic Consent, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Sexual Content, Mutual Pining, POV Skye | Daisy Johnson, Post 7x06, Post 7x06 canon divergence, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:26:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25154683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IzzieBee/pseuds/IzzieBee
Summary: Daisy never wanted to be rescued, by anyone. She never wanted to owe someone that debt, but especially not to a handsome WWII Vet, traveling through time. Daniel, who was brave and decent, and kind of funny, and who she could easily depend on, which was way too dangerous to consider.ORDaisy really wasn't ready for Daniel Sousa.
Relationships: Skye | Daisy Johnson/Daniel Sousa
Comments: 132
Kudos: 530





	1. bone tired

Bone tired. 

Daisy had always liked that expression because there was something about it that rang viscerally true. To her it meant a kind of tired that couldn’t be brushed aside, or in anyway ignored, because it had penetrated your bones. She had felt this tired before, dozens of times since she started S.H.I.E.L.D. and a handful of times before that.

Even though this tired was a familiar ache, it didn’t dull the annoyance. 

She just wanted to sleep, but no matter how hard she tried, she just… couldn’t. 

So, instead Daisy was in the Zephyr’s mess making herself the umpteenth cup of chamomile. Maybe, she hoped, tonight she could get a few hours of restless sleep instead of spending the whole night starting at the ceiling trying to keep images of Jiaying from flashing across her eye lids, as her entire body from her still bandaged hand to the tender spots at the base of her spine ached. 

She had been out of the healing pod for three days, and she had gotten less than three hours of sleep since. Daisy knew that Jemma would prescribe something if she knew but she couldn’t shake the memory of Malick’s drugs and the hazy horrible half state of her medical coma that followed. 

She sagged into one of the couches, mug in hand, when she felt a heartbeat’s vibrations come closer before she saw anyone. 

Daniel was at the door, leaning against it just a bit, cane in hand. He looked better than she did, she was sure. He was still dressed like they were in the 50’s, but now the suit jacket was gone, and his white button down had the sleeves rolled up. She felt underdressed, even though that made no sense; you were supposed to wear ratty leggings and sweatshirts when you wandered around the ship at midnight. 

It was like… A rule.

Daisy hadn’t said ‘hi’ yet, and she knew she should. 

They hadn’t talked since… everything. It hadn’t seemed like he was avoiding her, though, just like he thought that starting a conversation would be an imposition. Because he was, by all estimations, a great guy. 

A great guy she didn’t want to deal with right now. 

“How are you recovering?” Daniel said. He was always just a little bit too formal, a little bit to reserved to be from her time, and it always caught her off guard, “Daisy.” 

He said it like he wasn’t sure he should. Like it was too familiar despite already telling him “call me Daisy” a dozen times. 

Daniel was a gentleman, through and through, and if she wasn’t so tired, she might even respect it. She knew that she didn’t have any excuse to be flippant, or give him a hard time. He got to be nice, and courteous, borderline galant if he fucking wanted too. He carried her out of that place, stayed by her bedside for 12 hours according to Jemma. He wasn’t even the one to tell her all about his straight up heroics, because on top of everything else he was modest. 

Daisy never wanted to be rescued, by anyone. She never wanted to owe someone that debt, but especially not to a handsome WWII Vet, traveling through time. Daniel, who was brave and decent, and kind of funny, and who she could easily depend on, which was way too dangerous to consider.

She couldn’t need Daniel like she needed Coulson, May, Jemma, Mack, Fitz-

The list of loved ones was too long, the likelihood of getting her heartbroken when one of them was taken from her, way, way too high. He could so easily be a name on that list, and what then? 

She couldn’t like him, so instead she was annoyed. 

Annoyed at the politeness, the formality, asking about how she was when he knew she wasn’t ‘fine’, the fact that he probably thought she was some lady in need of his protection-

(This was probably stretching the guise of believability, he knew she was a super hero for God’s sake-)

“How do you think?” Daisy muttered, just loud enough that she knew he would hear her. 

“Sorry,” Daniel’s eye brows furrowed, looking more than a little distressed, “I didn’t mean to offend-”

“You didn’t.” 

“Right.” 

The silence stretched out uncomfortably between them and she did nothing to end it. Maybe if he was too uncomfortable he would just leave her be, and she could make amends in the morning. 

“How are your stitches?” He asked, moving fully into the mess now, “Agent Simmons told me that you were having them removed tomorrow-”

“Jemma,” Daisy said, before she could stop herself. 

“Sorry?”

“Her name is Jemma,” She knew that she was being unreasonable now. Hell she called Jemma ‘Simmons’ all the time, but she was so tired that she was close to tears, and every time she moved she found a new pain, a new ache, a new reminder of being used as a lab rat just like-

“Right,” He shook his head like he was in a fog, which probably was how he felt, “I am still getting used to the informality of your time.”

He shot her a self deprecating half smile, and she could see his arms strain against his shirt, and it really wasn’t fair. She had enough that she couldn’t control, she really didn’t need a racing pulse, and a warmth in bottom of her stomach that she hadn’t felt in years. 

“You called me Daisy,” Daisy took another sip of her tea, avoiding his gaze that she swore she could feel on her skin, “I suppose that’s progress.”

She still wasn’t looking at him, when he spoke again. 

“If you want to talk. I know we don’t know each other very well, but-”

“I don’t need to talk.”

“Okay,” He was all politeness, but his tone clearly belayed he didn’t believe her. 

“Not the first time I got the crap kicked out of me,” Daisy shrugged, but her voice was acidic, “Won’t be the last.”

“Are you always so cavalier about being tortured?” He didn’t say it with any judgment, but there was an edge to his voice, too. 

Almost like it was personal.

Daisy blushed and she didn’t really do that anymore. 

“Sometimes” She tried to keep her voice light, but based on Dainel’s expression was only partially successful, if she was at all. 

“Sometimes.” 

“I’m fine.” She continued brusquely, holding the cup of her tea a little closer to her body, “Really, thank you for everything, but I’m not like the women you knew-”

“I don’t think your giving the woman I knew enough credit.” 

His voice, for the first time, was threaded with annoyance.

Daisy winced. 

A series of Jemma’s ravings about Peggy Carter came rushing back. If her ramblings, as well as Coulson's equally fervent commentary was true not only was Carter a bad ass, but she was a bad ass that lead a command with Daniel, that they worked closely together as partners. 

(And maybe were involved until she ended up with Captain America? But that was a whole other conversation). 

“Right,” Daisy said biting her lip,“Sorry that was rude.”

“It’s fine,” He said it like he meant it, and she wasn’t quite sure what to do with that. 

“It’s really not,” Daisy ran a hand through her hair “You have been nothing but nice.”

Daniel joined her on the couch, a respectable distance away (of course), and they let the silence wash over them.

“I’m recovering,” Daisy said, quickly, not sure who she was trying to convince, “I really am. I’m just tired.”

Daniel nodded. 

“I haven’t been sleeping very well,” Daisy admitted, “I’m kind of on edge.”

“At first, after the field hospital,” He said, and the memories flooded back; Daniel telling his story as he stroked her hair. “All I did was sleep. Then, it was like a flip switched and I didn’t sleep, for weeks it seemed like.”

He had picked her up, and her head was on his chest, and she had been in so much pain, but she had felt safe. She hadn’t remembered, and now she wasn’t sure how not to. 

“Anything help?” She asked, trying not to think about his hands steady under her knees, around her waist, how she had clung to him as he walked her out of a collapsing building.

(She failed). 

“Change of scenery,” Daniel shrugged, looking more than a little chagrined, “Being home.” 

“Well,” Daisy let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding, “Can’t exactly pop back to 2020-”

“You’re from 2020?”

He looked gobsmacked at that, and she really couldn’t blame him; the whole time travel thing was still trippy to her, and she had a pretty high tolerance for weird. 

“Yah,” She said, “I forgot you didn’t know that.” 

“Things must be so different there,” He said, seemingly more to himself than to her, “Then from my time.”

“They are,” Daisy said, “And not in a lot ways, too.”

Daniel nodded, and she was almost sure that he knew exactly what she meant. 

“I’m sorry,” She said. 

“You don’t have to apologize,” He gestured, as though waiving away her apology, “I know you are under a lot of pressure-”

“I didn’t mean,” She started then stopped, and started again,“Well sorry for being rude, too. I’m sorry, I know you can’t go home either.”

“I’ll manage,” He said, looking off into some middle distance she couldn’t see, before looking back at her, “Just as you will.”

Daisy smiled at that. It was nice to be around someone so certain. He had been certain, when he carried her out of that hell hole. Everything he said, how he said it, what he did-

He had been certain he could save them, and strangest of all, he was right. 

“Talking helped, too,” Daniel said, looking into her eyes and she swore she could feel it in her bones. 

“I don’t think I’m ready.” 

He was the first one to break their shared gaze and she wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed. 

“Well, I’m around, if you ever do want to talk.” 

She cocked her head to the side; she guessed that meant he wasn’t planning to jump ship when they landed wherever they landed next. 

Interesting. 

“Thanks.” 

“For being born 70 years apart, I think we might have more in common than one would think-”

“Wow,” Daisy said and she shook her head; she hadn’t actually done the math, “Maybe, but your still old.”

He was actually only five years older than her, but that was neither here nor there. Because why would it matter how old he was, right? 

“I can deal with that,” He said all faux-resigned to it and she let out a giggle despite herself. 

The silence enveloped them both, again, but this time it didn’t feel uncomfortable, it felt… safe. 

She wasn’t quite sure what to do about that. 

“I’ll be fine here,” Daisy cleared her throat, looking anywhere but at him, “If you want to go to bed-”

“I’m fine here, thanks.” 

She was relieved, and she really didn’t know what to do about that. 

“So your a super hero.”

“Kind of.” 

“That’s” His voice was far and away and she could drown in it, “Miraculous.”

“Thanks,” She had no reason to swallow back tears, but he was looking at her like she was something precious and she almost believed him.

He didn’t say anything else, not as the minutes passed by, and then hours. He made her another cup of tea, wordlessly, and she muttered another ‘thank you’. She kept meaning to give him an out, to go back to her bunk or send him back to his, but she couldn’t manage it. Her body was in rebellion, wanting sleep and reprieve from the deep aches and pains littering her body, but her mind couldn’t will herself to close her eyes. 

The hours passed, and eventually the silence enveloped her, and she closed her eyes. The last thing she thought before she fell asleep was that word and the way Daniel had said it: miraculous.


	2. what's on my mind

When Daisy woke on the couch in the mess she had a blanket spread carefully around her, and a throw pillow tucked under her head. There was also tea in front of her, that still had steam rising from the top. As she sat up she winced, her body aching with a combination of still healing injuries and the pain you only got from lying in one positon to long. 

“Good morning,” Jemma chirped, cross legged in a chair opposite her with her own mug of tea in her hands; she had her hair pulled back in an orderly ponytail, and a pristine sweater on, and yet again she felt underdressed. 

“Morning,” Daisy groaned, her head still foggy with sleep, “What time is it?” 

“Well that’s a complicated question, when you consider all the variables-”

Daisy rolled her eyes, as she sat up and grabbed her tea: black with a bit of milk. She would have preferred coffee, but the way Jemma makes it, it was almost as good. 

“Jemma,” She interrupted before she got a full techno babble TED talk before she even had a chance for the caffeine to kick in, “In English please.” 

Jemma let a disappointed sigh, but said: 

“The equivalent of 8:00 AM.”

Daisy almost choked on her tea; she had slept for at least six hours.She hadn’t even dreamed, or if she did she didn’t remember. She must have really needed to sleep to just crash like that. 

“Wow.” Daisy stretched her neck; she felt so much less tired but her battered body hadn’t loved sleeping on the lumpy couch that had seen better days, “That’s crazy.”

The questions that she knew the answer to of who was there when she could finally drift off, who had tucked a blanket around her, put a pillow under her head, taking care of her like no one had for years, she pushed to the corner of her mind.

Jemma, of course, had no intention of letting her do that. 

“Yes,” Jemma took a sip of her tea, her voice laced with innuendo, “Crazy.”

“Jemma-” Daisy muttered, hoping that if she looked put upon she would drop it. Yes, Jemma was her best friend in the world, but she had just been dissected, maybe just this once she would not press further. 

No such luck. 

“So you and Daniel Sousa, huh?” Her voice lowered conspiratorially, “Kind of makes a weird amount of sense. He is very handsome, and brave, smart-” 

He was, all of that, but that was neither here nor there, because absolutely nothing was going to happen. 

(Of course she had noticed how he looked in those borning suits, that looked a lot less boring when he was in them; she still had a pulse, didn’t she?) 

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Daisy said a bit to fast to be convincing (that was actually embarrassing; she was a spy for god’s sake and Jemma was the bad liar). 

“Mhhm,” Jemma, of course, didn’t look at all convinced. 

“Jemma,” She took a deep breath, hoping that her nerves wouldn’t be belied in her voice, “I haven’t been sleeping well so I was getting tea and I ended up talking with Daniel. I must have fallen asleep, it was completely innocent. Nothing like whatever your picturing. Where is he, by the way?”

She was doing pretty well with the nonchalance, until her voice got a bit too high at the end, and the way Jemma’s eyebrows raised, she noticed. 

Because of course she had. Nothing could be easy, could it?

“He slept in that arm chair,” Jemma’s lips quirked up around the edges, gesturing to the chair in question, “Went to change when I got here. I offered to make the three of us tea in the mean time.”

Daisy sat up a little straighter. 

“Oh,” A hand shot up to her hair, to smooth it, God, it must look insane right now “So he’s coming back?”

“Mhmm,” Jemma said, taking another sip of her tea, “Not that you care.”

She forced her hands from her hair (there was probably no salvaging it anyways). 

“Right, Because I don’t.”

Jemma made a noncommittal noise, and Daisy was ready to argue the point, loudly if necessarily, when Jemma spoke again. 

“Hi, Daniel,” Jemma smiled (a real one, the kind she had hardly seen since Fitz left), and gestured at the table in front of them, “There’s tea here if you still want it.” 

“Thank you, Agent-” Daniel stopped, himself, then started again, “Jemma.”

“Of course,” Jemma’s smile only got bigger, as her eyes darted from Daisy to Daniel. 

Daisy was staring purposefully at her mug. 

“Good morning, Daisy,” His voice was an octave lower, and for the second time in twenty four hours Daisy could feel herself blushing, and she didn’t care for that shit at all. 

“Morning,” Daisy murmured, mostly into her tea. She could feel the vibrations of Jemma, holding in a laugh. 

When she looked up Daniel looked confused, and she hoped, despite herself, that he interpreted her rudeness as a byproduct of just waking up, and nothing else. 

Despite everything, she wanted him to think well of her. 

Jemma started talking about their next stop in time, and she really tried to listen, to not think about Daniel, and how it took care of her, kept taking care of her. Tried not to think about how he looked at her, the way that no one looked at her, not anymore. 

(An ugly part of her mind reminded her that he wouldn’t like her so much if she knew the whole truth, her whole ugly history). 

He sees a pretty girl, a pretty super hero, Daisy reminded herself, that didn’t mean anything in the long run. 

Daniel didn’t seem to have any trouble listening to Jemma, he was nodding along, intently, his eyes fixed on her best friend, who was now describing quantum entanglement in great detail. At some point he looked away from Jemma and looked at her. She felt it before she saw it, because his heart started beating faster. 

Daisy tried to ignore it. She really did. 

✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵✵

After the awkward ‘morning after’ (all the awkwardness and none of the fun parts, how was that fair), the team was thrown back into work and a trip to the late 1980s in Miami. None of them had much time for sleep, and she hadn’t had to think much about Daniel; they weren’t even partnered together this time. Even though that was for the best, considering… everything, she was almost disappointed. If Daniel hated the clothes in the 70s, he was going to absolutely hate all the neon, and baggy white suits. 

She was almost vibrating with energy, that post mission energy, where she could move mountains. She had already sparred with Mack, and taken an absurdly long shower, but she still felt it. 

Daisy wasn’t going to get much sleep tonight. 

So she found herself in the mess, pouring herself another cup of tea, trying to brace herself for another restless night. Maybe she was wrong, she bargained with herself, she had slept, at this point close to 32 hours before. Of course that wasn’t in her bunk, and there were other variables she couldn’t replicate- 

“So we can’t go home,” Daniel said, leaning against the door of the mess, just like the night before (or maybe the day and a half before; she never knew the exact date and time unless she talked to Jemma).

Speak of the devil, or think of the devil, and he shall appear. Sometimes she remembered the sisters words of ‘wisdom’ at the strangest of times. 

“Hello to you too,” Daisy shot back sarcastically, not bothering to hide her rolling eyes. For a guy who was so genteel, he didn’t softened a blow. It didn’t help her annoyance that yet again she looked like a mess, too big S.H.I.E.L.D. t-shirt, athletic shorts, and hair in a messy bun, and he was, yet again, in a tight, white button down and perfect hair. 

Asshole. 

He did look appropriately chagrined when he said: 

“I had an idea, though.” 

He waited for a moment, like she was going to shoot him down or ask a follow up question, when she did neither, he continued. 

“For how to bring a little home here.”

“Daniel,” Daisy gripped the edge of the counter, closing for eyes for a moment, feeling something akin to shame wash over her; of course the WWII war hero wanted to save her again, the thing she was determined to never happen and has already happened twice in the equivalent of a week, “I’m fine, you don’t need to-” 

“I’ll show you the movies from my time,” Daniel plowed on, like she hadn’t said “And you can show me the movies from yours. Jemma was telling me all about these new technological advances-”

“You don’t have to do that,” Daisy said, slow and clear with a sharp edge to her voice so that there was no steam rolling her sentiments, “I told you, I’m fine.” 

“This is more a favor for me.”

She cocked her head to the side and regarded him. She could read people pretty well, something she prided herself on; he seemed to be telling the truth. 

“How so?” She asked, keeping her voice neutral. 

“I miss my time sure,” Daniel said, as he gestured almost wildly, “But, I really don’t know what to expect after the next time warp.”

Daisy’s lips twitched as she tried to suppress a grin. 

“The 1980s were a lot, huh?”

“I don’t think ‘a lot’ even begins to cover it,” The look of pure confusion was endearing; because of course she couldn’t catch a fucking break, “I can only imagine the next few decades.”

She bit her lip. Sitting with Daniel, alone, for hours watching movies did not aid in her plan to avoid and disentangle herself from the man standing in front of her. 

Still, the thought of watching a movie, and trying not to laugh at Daniels confusion sounded a lot more fun then going straight to bed and tossing and turning for the next eight hours. 

Did she also like how he smelled, and couldn’t stop thinking about how it felt to be carried by him, his arms sturdy around her, sure. Didn’t mean anything was going to happen. She could control herself. 

It could even be helpful, the more he saw her throw popcorn at the TV and talk through the most important parts of movies, the less he would think of her as a friend. 

Just a friend. 

A movie could be just a movie. 

(Right?) 

“Fair enough,” Daisy said, “The 1980s were not a good look, I think the 90s are going to be just as… confounding. 50/50 split: your time, my time.”

“Deal.” 

He stuck his hand out, like this was a ‘very official’ deal, and she bit back a smile, yet again. 

She shook his hand as she said: 

“Deal.” 

She tucked some hair that had fallen out of her messy bun. She looked at her tea, and the thought of drinking it in her bunk, while catching up on some coding for the Zephyr seemed less and less attractive. 

“You down for a movie now?” She asked, hoping her voice didn’t sound too desperate, “ I have been wanting to rewatch Jurassic Park. Might get you ready for the 1990s, too.” 

“Jurassic-” Daniel looked confused and more then a little concerned. Of course like everything else he did, it was endearing. 

“What ever your thinking,” Daisy didn’t bother to hide her grin, “This is going to be way, way better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the support for this pic (I love this ship, and I love reading all the pics that are being posted)! I super appreciate kudos, and especially comments. Really keeps me motivated to keep posting! I am imaging that this fic will have at least 2, maybe 3 more chapters 
> 
> <3 IzzieBee


	3. come closer

A routine started to develop, between Daisy and Daniel, and she wasn’t sure how to feel about it. 

The team would spend a day, or days or a mostly sleepless week, on missions ping ponging back and forth through time. Then, when the team would come back, bruised in more ways than one, they would all go to their separate corners of the ship to do whatever they needed to feel human again, grab a shower or some shut eye or a beer. 

Daisy, she would grab Daniel and they would sit in the mess in front of her laptop and watch a movie. 

Sometimes two. 

They had already watched ‘It Happened One Night’, ‘Moonlight’, ‘Casablanca’, ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’, ‘The Philadelphia Story’, ‘Lady Bird’, and of course, ‘Jurassic Park’. She wasn’t surprised he liked her movies (the special effects alone were a draw for a guy who had never seen animatronics used in movies, let alone CGI); what surprised her was how much she liked his picks. 

Daisy’s memories of most movies made before 1985 were tainted by memories of St. Agnes and that old projector that didn’t even have a screen just a sheet (sometimes her memories shocked even herself; who was she, Little Orphan Annie?). When they did have movie nights at the orphanage, they were never the romantic comedies or disney movies that the kids and teenagers wanted to watch; instead they watched movie after movie made in the 60s and 70s (probably because they were the only ones they had, and they were too cheap to buy new ones). Those movies were awful, chock full of white saviours and God’s wrath. 

She wondered, sometimes, as she watched Daniel watch movies why he wasn’t more a man of his time, why he didn’t share more in common with those ‘protagonists’ from her childhood.

Daisy was sure some credit had to go to Peggy Carter, and others he knew during his time; men and women who pushed his thinking forward, who pushed him forward. She also had a suspicion that he was always like that, that Daniel Sousa was out of place in his own time as well. 

He had this look of wonder, in particular moments watching the movies she picked; moments when he saw the technology, or queer people being treated like humans, or women in leadership, or people of color excelling and his face broke open in wonder. 

Daniel would make comments, too, surprised that when the world hadn’t progressed faster. But even that showed that he believed that the world was not cruel and random, but that people were slowly making their way towards good. 

She wasn’t sure she believed that anymore. 

It was her new favorite pastime: watching Daniel watch movies. He must have known she was staring, but he was gentleman enough not to say anything about it. 

Soon movie nights had turned into sparring sessions with battling music choices based on who one (Daniel was, not surprisingly, not a fan of mid-2000s pop, which in turn, brang Daisy a lot of joy). He was a good match for her (when she didn’t use her powers, that is), especially when Jemma fitted him with a new prosthetic. 

“I’m sorry,” Jemma had looked embarrassed when she had fitted with it, in the med lab, “This really isn’t my area of expertise, but I did my best. If Leo was here, he would have-”

She broke off, her voice wistful, and quiet. If Daniel had noticed, he didn’t say anything about it. 

“You are a genius,” Daniel said, brightly, “Dr. Simmons.” 

“Jemma, please,” Daisy and Jemma said at the same time, which made them all grin. 

Despite her humility, the prosthetic was still miles ahead of anything you could find in most places in 2020, let alone 1954. She knew that Daniel appreciated it, but sometimes she found him looking wistfully at the place where his leg used to be, and she wondered if this new prosthetic was just another thing distancing him from his time and all those people he had known and loved. 

She knew he liked to spar her, though, on a more even playing field. He came close to winning a couple times, and he didn’t seem to worry about finally bringing her down a peg, no matter how virulent her trash talking got. 

Of course, the sparring also meant that she got to be close to him in a way that was more intimate than sitting a few inches from someone on a couch. When she came out that first time in a sports bra and leggings she felt the wind being knocked out at him; she tried not to feel too smug about it, after all the most scandalous womens clothing in his time were two piece bathing suits.

That was the night where Daniel came close to beating her for the first time. She was hardly thinking, all instinct, punching, kicking, breathing out, like May taught her. Then Daniel got a lucky shot, and then a second shot she couldn’t blame on luck, and he had pinned her to the ground.

Before he could say anything, she had gained the upper hand again, but she didn’t really have any excuse for why her lungs failed her when they ended up chest to chest, her body caged over his. Maybe it was the feeling of his body vibrating, so close that she couldn’t drown it out. Maybe it was the look in his eyes, pupils blown, and she knew he wanted her, even if she didn’t know why, excepting that she looked good in her sports bra. Maybe it was because she could feel his arm, yet again around her waist, but this time without any clothing between them, and her mind flew to a thousand different scenarios where sparring was the last thing on their minds. 

The last time she had felt like that, sparring as almost foreplay, had been with-

Lincoln. 

She pushed herself off of him, more abruptly then necessary, as she made a quick and hasty exit from the gym, leaving Daniel confused and apologizing profusely in her wake. That night as she had tried to fall asleep but she kept seeing sandy hair, and that infectious smile behind her eyelids. 

Before Lincoln, she hadn’t ever loved someone like that. It would be easy, if that was all she was worrying about. 

It wasn’t that she had felt gutted, or guilty, or that a wave of grief crashed over her that she couldn’t recover from, something that had happened so often the six months after his death. 

She had just felt… uneasy, maybe a bit hollow. 

That scared the shit out of her. She should be a wreck, and instead her thoughts kept slipping, when they weren’t wondering if Lincoln was somewhere better now, to Daniel and his smile, and dark eyes that seemed to stare right through her. 

She hadn’t lied to Deke; she had still been in love with Lincoln, years after his death, and now-

She would always love Lincoln, but she didn’t think she was in love with him anymore. Which meant that she could fall in love again. It was so much worse than the danger of caring about Daniel, she wanted to avoid that from the moment he carried her out of that barn, a worry that solidified when he called her ‘miraculous’. If she fell in love with Daniel and he died-

Everyone Daisy loved died. 

Daisy gave up sleeping at 3:00 AM, and went to the gym, determined to run fast and long enough she would collapse by the time she made it back to her bunk. It didn’t stop her mind from whirring and whirling.

She just wouldn’t fall in love with him, Daisy reasoned, turning up the resistance on the treadmill. 

Like you didn’t start to care about? A traitorous part of her mind hissed. 

She fell asleep a few hours later, but she kept tossing and turning; in her dreams dark eyes turned to light, and then back to dark, yet again. 

She tried to avoid Daniel after that, and at first it was easy, the missions took up so much of everyone’s time, it wasn’t like she had a lot of extra time to spend with anyone, let alone the new guy. Eventually he noticed she kept declining invitations to movie night and sparring, and he took a step back, giving her space.

She didn’t know what annoyed her more, the wistful looks he threw to her when he didn’t think she was looking, or the fact that she missed him, despite spending hour after hour with him on mission after mission. 

Then he put a copy of ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ on her bed (how the hell he got one, was anyone’s guess). She almost didn’t read it, almost chewed him out for being presumptuous or overstepping boundaries. 

Then she stayed up half the night reading it, and she stared up at the ceiling, gobsmacked; it was like he could read her mind, or maybe even something better. 

He knew what she needed, when she hadn’t. 

She strode into his bunk the next day,he looked shocked, maybe a bit scandalized, as she tossed the book on his bed.

“This book was good,” Daisy said, and when Daniel raised an eyebrow, she amended, “Really good. What else did you get?” 

Daniel started sending pdfs of books, after Jemma had shown him how to access the databases on the Zephyr, and she started doing the same. The movie nights started again, as did the sparring, although she could tell he was holding back, worried he would cross some boundary that would push her away again. 

She felt bad about that, but she couldn’t tell him why she had freaked out. 

What was she supposed to say? You reminded me of my dead ex-boyfriend, who until very recently I was still in love with. Now I am worried that I am going to fall in love with you and you are either going to die, turn out to be evil, or realize you could do a hell of a lot better than me.   
Yah, she was going to keep that to herself. 

Still, all in all, spending this time with Daniel was good. She had laughed more than she had in years. She was sleeping through the night, mostly, and most shockingly she started inadvertently following his second piece of advice: 

Daisy started talking. 

They were watching a new movie, his choice this time: ‘Roman Holiday’. She liked the movie, it was witty, and sweet, and made her ache for a vacation somewhere where she didn’t have to think of time or space travel. Still, a thought kept distracting her, no matter how badly she wanted to push it down and away. 

Maybe it was Audrey Hepburn, playing the ultimate ingenue, everything shiny and new. Maybe it was the mission they had only completed a few hours before, that included trying to protect a nineteen year old, so convinced that the world would do the right thing that she had almost been killed, twice. Maybe it was the Hula Doll, she found when she was looking for her favorite sweatshirt last week, the one that she got from a thrift store when she was nineteen, a few weeks after she joined the Rising Tide. 

“I used to be different,” Daisy said suddenly, as the credits rolled. She winced as soon as she did.

“Different?” Daniel turned towards her, closing the laptop as he did. She knew him well enough to know that he wasn’t going to just leave a comment like that alone.

“I used to go by Skye,” She knew the words rang false, but she couldn’t bring herself to care, “Mary Sue before that.”

“I don’t think that’s what you meant,” She was looking away, but she could feel Daniel study her profile as he spoke, “Although I wouldn’t mind hearing that story sometime.” 

She let out a shaky breath remembering her own words in the barn months ago, “I want to hear that story when I’ll remember it.” 

“I’m sure you would.” 

“How were you different?” 

Daisy looked at him, and his face was so open, and she couldn’t bring herself to lie.

“Hopeful,” She said, “Trusting. I was so amazed by the world and wanted to discover more about it.” 

When she met Mike Peterson in that cafe, she had been blown away; nothing could surprise her, not anymore. 

“I’m not her anymore.”

“I like you,” He said, like it was the easiest thing in the world; like it was as simple and true as the color of the sky, “As you are now.” 

Heat rose in her cheeks, and she couldn’t believe that this guy from the 50s was the only person who could consistently make her blush. 

“You didn’t know me before,” Daisy looked away. 

“You didn’t know me, either,” He said, pressing on, “Though, I don’t think you would have liked me much before the war.”

“Why’s that?” She asked, genuinely curious. 

“I was kind of,” Daniel looked like he was searching for the right words, “Out of control. Made a lot of mistakes, a lot of bad calls.”

“Sounds kind of fun,” Daisy said, before she could stop herself. She had images in her head of Sousa at 25, in some smokey corner of a bar. 

Bad news wasn’t always so bad.

Daniel, though, just looked confused. 

“I like you now,,” Daisy said, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, “But I would have liked you then.”

“How do you know?” It seemed like he asked, not as an acquisition, but out of generous curiosity .

“You're a good guy,” She said, honestly, “You couldn’t have been that different.”

Daniel smiled, and she tried not to let it crack her open. 

(She failed). 

“You know what that sounds to me?” Daniel said, and when she shook her head, he continued, “Someone who is more optimistic than they are giving themselves credit for.”

She smiled, despite herself, something warm blooming in her chest. 

The way he saw her, she realized, wasn’t just a pretty girl or a friendly face in a strange new world. He saw her as just as good, inherently good, as she saw him. Maybe he was wrong, maybe she didn’t deserve to be seen like that anymore, but in this moment, when the Zephyr was quiet and time faded to the background, she soaked it all up like it was the sun. 

Yet again, he gave her what she hadn’t known she needed. 

She kissed his cheek, quickly, before she could stop herself. He smelled like oak, and salt, and his cheek wasn’t quite smooth like he hadn’t shaved for a couple days. 

“Thanks.” She whispered, and she slipped away. 

He watched her leave, and this time it wasn’t just his heart that was beating faster.


	4. i'm sure of

After ‘Roman Holiday’ Daisy began talking more, telling Daniel more about her life before. It was nice, and dare she admit that he was right, talking helped. She was sleeping better, laughing more, and this weight on her shoulders that had only gotten heavier since she started with S.H.I.E.L.D was easing. 

Despite all of this, she hadn’t been expecting Daniel to start talking, too.

Sure he told her about the field hospital, but she had been struggling to maintain consciousness. Since then he hadn’t exactly been chatty about his past or feelings. He would mention details from his past, always in passing, in relation to a mission or a book or movie. 

Daisy wasn’t sure what the reason he didn’t share much, especially when it wasn’t just the two of them. Maybe he still didn’t trust the team, or maybe, it was too painful, or it just wasn’t in his DNA to talk about things like his feelings (there had to be some remnants from the ‘40s and ‘50s, besides an affinity for quality tailoring, and antiquated manners). 

It didn’t stop her from wondering about who he was before, and how he was really feeling about being ripped from his world and into hers. 

Did he have a family he desperately missed? Who were his friends, and did they know something was wrong when he didn’t show up at the bar, like he always did? Did he still blame them for turning his world upside down. 

(Had he loved Peggy Carter? Was he still in love with Peggy Carter?)

But she was so scared to ask the questions she wanted to ask. She wasn’t sure if she was more worried about him not wanting to tell her the answers, or if he did. 

So she catalogued every detail he mentioned: his favorite song, his childhood best friend's name and the reasons he preferred handwriting to type writers (he still looked at her laptop’s keyboard with some disdain). 

She wanted to know everything she could about Daniel. To soak up that knowledge, as almost a replacement for other forms of intimacy. She would never hold his hand, or pull him close, but she could drown herself in all the details of his life. 

Knowing him, really knowing him could be enough. 

It had to be enough. 

So she didn’t ask the questions she really wanted to ask, but sometimes that need to know more got the better of her and she slipped. 

(Maybe it wasn’t fair to say Daniel started talking, so much as, she was brave enough to ask a question that wasn’t skin deep). 

They had just gotten off of a long and arduous mission; the kind that was dull as it was dangerous. Daniel was nice enough to help her work off her excess energy and anxiety by sparring with her. They were packing up, ready to go to their separate bunks and pass out when a personal question slipped out. 

(Later she would blame it on the endorphins, and how good Daniel looked in a tight white t-shirt, so good that it made her head a little light and she wanted to wrap herself around him and share a whole new kind of intimacy). 

“What did you do for fun anyways?” Daisy asked, grabbing her water bottle, and turning towards Daniel regarding him, trying to imagine him, not for the first time, completely in his element in a different world, “In your time.”

“Crossword puzzles mostly,” Daniel said, stone faced, and Daisy let out a giggle, despite herself.

“This-” He gestured around then to the gym. “We had boxing then, too.”

What they had been doing wasn’t exactly boxing, and even though they had never been in as close contact, since that night where she landed on top of each other, she was pretty sure it wasn’t the type of sparring he was used to. 

Especially with a female partner. 

“That’s all you did for fun?” Daisy heard the innuendo in her voice. If Daniel noticed, he ignored it, though she could swear there was little more color in his cheeks that couldn’t be explained from just the work out. 

“We’d go to movies,” Daniel continued, not quite meeting her eyes, “Concerts, and dancing.”

“Dancing?” That made Daisy smile. She could place him in one of the old movies they watched, in some speakeasy, or army dance with him in his uniform looking all shiny and new. She was so lost in her wanderings she almost missed a dark expression crossed over Daniel’s face. 

“I didn’t do that much, after the war,” He said brusquely, “First because of my leg and then…”

Daniel trailed off. 

“Then?” Daisy didn’t know why she kept pressing. She didn’t do that. Questions about leisure activities were par for the course, but she knew she wasn’t just asking about dancing. 

“Peggy didn’t like to dance,” Daniel continued, his voice even, “Reminded her of someone else.”

Daisy averted her eyes. It was odd to think of Captain America being involved in anything as a human as a love triangle. She wouldn't mind buying Peggy Carter a drink, if only to hear a couple stories; her life’s crazy quotation, was remarkably similar to Daisy’s, a difficult feat. Still her odd admiration, and unfounded jealousy were overshadowed at her anger. Peggy might have been a cool, tough lady, but she had obviously had hurt Daniel, and she hated that, and hated her in a way that wasn’t rational. 

“I figure you know who,” Daniel said ryely, an eyebrow arched, “I imagine the two of them are in S.H.I.E.L.D textbooks.”

She shrugged, neither confirming or denying his accurate assessment. 

“You are in them too.” 

“I’m not sure how to feel about that.” How would she feel, Daisy wondered, to read what people thought about her, who hadn’t even known her?

If it was anything like being the ‘Destroyer of Worlds’, probably not great. 

Still there was an unanswered and unasked question floating between them. Peggy chose Steve Rogers, but Daniel hadn’t said how he felt about it. Did he mourn the relationship? Had he fought for Peggy? Had he met Rogers? Had Rogers known she was involved with someone else? Did he still-

“Are you in love with her?” Daisy blurted out, her words coming out so fast they were hardly comprehensible. The question crossed so many lines that she had drawn, and yet-

She had to know. Was Peggy, for him, like Lincoln had been for her, for so long? The long lost love that you couldn’t quite get over. Did she not have to worry about falling, because he would never really be available. 

(Which was scarier, if he answered yes or if he answered no). 

Daniel was looking straight through her, that x-ray look that made her half convinced he could read her mind, which really wasn’t fair because his face was absolutely unreadable. 

“Sorry,” Daisy looked away, “You don’t have to say anything-”

“It took me a long time to realize this, but this was how it was meant to be. She always wanted Steve, and he came back to her. It’s a miracle, and she’s one of the best people I know, knew.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Daisy looked at him again, a little bit annoyed by his decency, his forgiveness. Of course he was kind, refusing to speak ill of a woman who broke his heart. Of course he was loyal, probably committed to loving her forever, while Peggy got to move on-

Daniel made no move to answer her, and the only clue to the question affecting him was his hands gripping the towel a little tighter. 

She suddenly felt a wave of deep embarrassment. He didn’t want to tell her that. She hardly ever asked questions about him, which must have read as completely rude, and now she was grilling him about a completely personal and painful memory. 

Daisy started talking, not sure what she was saying until she said it, her words getting faster and faster the more she talked. 

“I get it, being in love with someone who's gone or you can’t have, or where it doesn’t make sense. I wouldn’t judge you, whatever you said, but I also probably totally overstepped. We haven’t known each other for that long, you don’t have to say anything-”

“I’m not in love with her anymore.” 

He didn’t say it like he was upset, or hurt, or even wistfully. He said it like it was just a fact, as simple at anything. 

His eyes bore into hers, and it was unbearable, but also impossible to look away. 

“It’s her loss,” Her voice was too earnest, and she looked away before she could see his reaction. Anyone not loving Daniel, when they had the chance, was a complete idiot. 

He was looking at her again in that way that turned her inside out, and she felt like a raw nerve, too exposed. 

Daisy cleared her throat, and added quickly: 

“That she didn’t want to go dancing, I mean.”

“Thank you, Daisy,” Daniel said quietly, and the silence stretched between them. 

“We have dancing too, in 2020,” Daisy said, breaking the silence, her voice artificially light. 

“Yah?” Daniel’s face was still unreadable, but his lips twitched at the corner. 

“Might be a bit scandalized though.”

“I’d still go,” Daniel shrugged, “If it was with you.”

“Yah?” Again Daisy’s voice was almost painfully earnest, but this time she struggled to care. 

“If for no other reason to see how you dance to that God awful music of yours.”

“Shut up,” Daisy said but she was smiling so wide it almost hurt. 

She wondered if he would really follow her, where she went, where she would have to go to fix the timeline, to get fitz back, to keep them all safe. Would he want to help her rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D? Or would he ask to be sent back, not to 1954 where it wasn’t safe, but to a time closer to his. Maybe start his new life in Hawaii in the 1970s, finally having to get used to the ‘all the extra fabric around the ankles’. Or maybe he would want to be in 2020, but as far as possible away from S.H.I.E.L.D., marry a nice girl, and have a couple of kids and a picket fence. 

As she laid in her bed that night, she almost hoped he would leave, disappear as quickly as he appeared. 

It would be better than him breaking her heart. 

It was better than Daniel ending up dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plan was 5 chapter, but now I am definitely going to have 6! At least! Let me know in the comments if you would be interested in an epilogue/second part of the story from Daniel's POV. 
> 
> I am 80% done with the next chapter and I am really excited for everyone to read it! 
> 
> Thanks for the kudos and comments :) Really means a lot
> 
> <3 Izzie


	5. if you need me to tell you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note the change in rating!

Their next mission went wrong. 

So, so wrong. 

Daisy knew she was in trouble when she saw the picture of her projected over Jemma’s work table: an inhuman gir, truly just a girl, in clothes that didn’t quite fit. She still had braces, for God’s sake. A girl who was barely eighteen, and had more scars than anyone she had ever met, excepting Jiaying. A girl who just wanted to be seen, to be a part of something, and who kept having doors slammed in her face. When the world shut her out, of every community, every family, she had decided that if she couldn’t have her dream, no one could. 

She had so much power, and now she was gone. 

Her name was Lacey, almost a comically sweet, and pretty name, especially when Lacey wasn’t either of those things anymore. When Daisy tried to talk her down, circling each other, Lacey backing away like Daisy would burn her if their hands touched; she had known in her gut how this was going to end right then. The pain in her eyes, the rage, the disgust at not only humanity but herself.

She knew all too well what this would lead to, but it didn’t mean she didn’t shatter when Lacey was killed, moments before she was about to kill thousands of human bystanders. She knew it was the right thing, that it was for the greater good. She knew they had saved countless lives, but Daisy wished Lacey hadn’t died. She wished that she could have taken this girl in her arms and helped her find a family of her own. She couldn’t, though, and she went back to the Zephyr in a fog. 

The rest of the team knew why she shut down completely. Elena squeezed her hand as she passed with Mack, who gave her a murmured “You did good, Tremors”. Wordlessly Jemma wrapped around her in a tight hug that she melted into, but with a hollow pang she pulled away; Fitz should have been here too. Coulson and May escorted her back to her bunk flanking her either side, like watchful shadows. 

She tried to wash away the day in her bunks tiny showers (they all had their own bathrooms in their bunks, but they were pretty much broom closets with a sink, shower, and toilet). When she changed into her softest S.H.I.E.L.D sweatshirt and sleep shorts she heard a knock at the door, and her heart leapt. 

It was Deke with lemon tea; she tried not to feel disappointed as she thanked him and retreated back into her room. 

There was no way Daniel could have known why this mission affected her so deeply, but she had hoped that he had noticed that she didn’t seem okay and that he would check on her. What she had feared when he had pulled her out of that barn had come to pass. She relied on Daniel, and she couldn’t figure out a way to stop. 

Daisy had been staring at the ceiling for an hour or so, not even trying to close her eyes and sleep. She wasn’t eager for the inevitable nightmares. 

Then there was another knock at the door, and this time when she opened the door there was Daniel, still in a button down and dark jeans from before. He looked uncomfortable, like he wasn’t sure if he was overstepping, but that he couldn’t quite stay away. 

(Or maybe that was just what she hoped was the case). 

After a couple silent moments in the doorway, she had gestured him in. She sat on the bed, crossing her legs, while Daniel situated himself in the only chair which was crammed in the corner of the room. 

Despite the fact they were sitting as far apart as possible in the cramped room, it felt intensely intimate, in a way that had her looking around at anything but him. She had never been alone in a bunk with him. They had been alone, sure, but it always had the veneer of ‘public’, in spaces where anyone could walk in, and often did. No one would walk in here, no one could even hear them, even if they put their ear to the door (her room had been retrofitted for her gift, and soundproofing turned out to be a perk). 

Daniel wasn’t avoiding looking at her, instead she could feel him studying her. Despite her nerves it felt nice to be the focus of this man’s attention, even if his motivation was just worry.   
She tried to soak up his care, and as the silence dragged on, she felt herself let out a breath she must have been holding. 

“I’m sorry she died,” Daniel said simply, breaking the silence cleanly in two.

“Me, too,” Daisy whispered. 

“I don’t understand,” Daniel said, after a long while, “What drove her to do that.”

Of course you don’t, she wanted to say. He was good, so surely good it shocked her sometimes. He was the good man in the storm, and he couldn’t understand. 

Right? 

His words weren’t laced with hate, though, or judgment; They were not the words of the authoritarian, sorting the world into good and evil. His words were tinged with sorrow, like maybe if they did something different they could have saved Lacey, like maybe this didn’t have to be the ending of her story. 

Maybe that’s why she said don't just brush it off and send him to his own bunk with an unconvincing “I’m fine.” 

Instead, she started to talk. 

“I do,” Daisy said softly, “I wouldn’t have done what she did. But I know all too well how self destructive you become when nothing you do can keep people in your life. When you want a family so bad it’s all you can think about.”

She dared to look at Daniel, who was studying her intently, but there was still no judgment in his gaze, no pity. She continued on:

“I have always looked for family in the wrong places.”

“What do you mean?” 

Daniel knew some of the details of her life; the shiny bits, the anecdotes, and God, it had been nice to make someone laugh again (she used to be so good at that). The talking, the late nights just talking had been the best thing that happened to her in months, years really. It was one thing to chat in between movies, and punches while sparring, but it was another to lay yourself bare to a relative stranger. 

But, he wasn’t a stranger anymore, and he wasn’t even just a friend, but there was a chance he wouldn’t even be that if he knew… Well, everything. 

Still, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to share the dark shadows behind her stories. He understood the term “inhumans” and that she was one, even some of the physics of her powers, but didn’t know about the “destroyer of worlds”, or Lincoln. He knew about the Hydra takeover of S.H.I.E.L.D, but didn’t know about Ward. He knew that she grew up in the foster care system, but didn’t know about Jiaying and Calvin. 

She wanted him to know her, she realized with a pang.

(Do you want him to know you, really know you, she wondered, or is this just another opportunity to push him away before you fall even deeper?)

“I was part of a hacker group called the Rising Tide,” Daisy looked at Daniel, and he didn’t look confused, and she was relieved that she must have explained to him the term at some point, “Not legal, but I believed we were doing good. When S.H.I.E.L.D. found me I had a bad news boyfriend, not the first one either. God, I was so young.”

“How young?” Daniel looked like he couldn’t help but ask the question, but that he regretted it. Like if he so much as moved, she would flee. Which wasn’t an inaccurate assessment of the situation. She shot him a rye smile, and his shoulders relaxed, just a little. 

“Young. I was twenty three, when S.H.I.E.L.D. found me, but I was on my own for five or six years before that. I thought I had it all figured out.” 

She thought about Miles almost wistfully, he was a prince in comparison too-

“My supervising officer,” Daisy’s voice turned cooler and more clipped, and her skin crawled just talking about him. “His name was Ward. I fell for him, and then I found out he was a double agent for Hydra. He killed for me. He thought that he could make me understand him, understand why he did all the horrible things he did. He’s dead now.” 

Anger flashed across Daniel’s face, but he quickly schooled his features. If anyone had a reason to hate Hydra it was him. 

“The rest of the team,” Daisy took a deep breath and continued, “Jemma, Coulson, May, Mack, you’ll meet Fitz one day, too. They became my everything, after that. Didn’t mean I didn’t keep looking, pushing the envelope when I should have left alone.”

She had told Daniel about Afterlife. About finding out about her powers, and other people like her, and then about returning to S.H.I.E.L.D, but that was pretty much it. She had never talked about Jiaying, or Lincoln, or even Gordon.

“Afterlife wasn’t just where I learned about my powers,” Daisy looked at her hands, “I told you about growing up in foster care, but I didn’t tell you about my parents. They were alive, and they searched for me, for decades. My father never recovered, he killed a lot of people trying to find me.”

“Is he-”

“Dead?” Daisy said, answering the question he didn’t have the chance to ask, “No, but he’s safe and people are safe from him. He won’t hurt anyone anymore.”

“Jiaying, she ran Afterlife,” Daisy’s voice broke. She tried not to think about Jiaying, but ever since Malick’s experiments she had never been far from her mind, “She trained me, made me feel wanted and loved. I loved her.”

Daisy tried to keep her image out of her mind, especially the memory of her mother’s hand on hers and smiling at her in a way that made her feel seen, more seen than she had ever felt in her whole life. It would be so much easier if she had just been a monster. 

Daisy could have become her mother, she still could. 

“Jiaying,” Daniel’s brows furrowed together, “You said her name after you were-”

“Jiaying was my mother,” She struggled to say anything after ‘was’, but she kept talking like she was exercising a demon who had taken up residence in her chest for far too long.

“They stole me,” Daisy’s voice rose, the pain raw and bare in every word she spoke, “And then she was torn apart and stitched back together by Hydra. Over and over again. She was never the same, how could you be the same?”

“Daisy,” Daniel started, looking stricken, “You don’t have to-”

“She tried to kill me,” Daisy said, because it was the truth, but the words still knocked the air from her lungs, “All because I wouldn’t massacre humans with her. My father killed her instead. He’s safe because we erased his memory, he doesn’t know me or what he did for me. Doesn’t know that the last person he killed for me was his wife, my mother”

“That wasn’t your fault,” Daniel said, emphatically, rising from the chair in the corner, “You didn’t make anyone kill for you-” 

Daisy felt something akin to rage bubbling in her stomach. How dare he? She was not some bystander in this piece. She had hurt so many people, if he only knew, he wouldn’t be looking at her like that. 

She might be broken, but she also did a lot of the breaking. 

“You weren’t there,” Daisy’s voice crackled and if she could quake in this room, everything from the bedframe, to the empty mug would be shaking ready to shatter. 

“Then explain it to me,” There was anger lacing Daniel’s voice now, “Explain to me how men killing because they wanted to kill and using you as an excuse was your fault. Explain it to me.”

“Lincoln was my fault,” Daisy said, sliding off her bed, squaring off at the other end of the tiny room. Confusion crossed Daniel’s face. 

“I met him at Afterlife,” She continued, her chin tilted up defiantly, “He helped me transition, and after Afterlight fell I recruited him into S.H.I.E.L.D. I wanted Inhumans to have a place where they can make a difference.” 

“He was more than a friend.” Daniel didn’t say that like it was a question.

“Yes, he was,” Daisy felt tears stream down her face; she hadn’t noticed when she started to cry, “I fell in love with him. He was a really good man and he died to protect me. He died because of me.”

“I don’t know Lincoln,” Daniel stepped closer to her, and now they were barely a foot apart, “But I know you. You wouldn’t have let him die if there was any other choice.”

Did he know her? Daisy would have traded her life for Lincoln’s, every time, but how could he know that? She had worked so hard to keep her distance, but had he seen right through her, this entire time?

“And, you have a family,” Daniel said, his voice softer now, “You have people here that would move the world for you. Jemma, Mack, Elena, Deke, Coulson, May.”

He was right. Against all odds Daisy had people who loved her. Wasn’t that enough? It was more than Lacey got, it was more than most people got. So what if she didn’t get married, or fall in love again? She had loved, and she had been loved, and that was enough. 

It had to be enough. 

“Your right, I get them,” Daisy said, the rage melting from her voice, leaving only tears in its wake, “But that’s it.” 

“Daisy, what the hell do you mean-”

“They are my family,” Daisy continued, looking Daniel dead in the eye, “You’re right. I got more than I ever could hope to deserve, and that’s enough. I don’t need anything else, I don’t get anything else. No one else is going to die for me.”

Daniel stepped away from her like she had slapped him. 

“Stop looking at me like that,” Daisy snapped, her cheeks burning bright red. 

“Were you ever going to tell me,” Daniel said, his voice quiet, but rumbling under the surface was anger; she had never heard him this angry, “Why you were keeping me at arms length. Why every time I tried to get to know you, tried to be there for you, you would push me away.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Daisy looked away, her heart beating faster. 

“Well I get a choice in this,” Daniel said, and this time he was mere inches away, his hands so  
close she almost expected him to pull her into him, but they didn’t touch, “And I am not walking away.”

“Daniel,” Daisy’s voice cracked, “Please.”

Please walk away, please pull me close, please leave, please never go-

“You deserve everything that you want,” Daniel’s voice was rougher now, and she felt the vibrations of every word in her bones. She wanted to move closer and see if she could disappear in those vibrations, and she also wanted to run out of her own room and hide. 

“I would move the world for you,” Daniel said, his voice was so full of awe it threatened to shatter her, “You have to have known. All these months. I’m in lo-”

“Don’t,” Daisy closed her eyes, as though she could fold into herself if she just didn’t see his face, “Please.”

If he kept talking she would never be able to keep him at bay. She would lose all control, and she was pretty sure she wouldn’t even care.

“No, because you don’t feel the same?” Daniel was so close now, she could breath him in, “Or because you're scared? You deserve everything you want, Daisy Johnson.”

She wanted to tell him he was wrong, to make him stop talking, but she just couldn’t seem to open her mouth. Wasn’t these the words she had dreamed about, in the hazy moments between sleep and waking? In those moments Daniel had been so much softer and the declarations were warm and whispered into her skin. This fire was consuming her; Daniel was burning her to the ground she stood on. 

“You are a survivor, you have lived through more than most can even imagine or comprehend, but you have never stopped.”

“You’re wrong,” Daisy murmured and she wondered if he could feel any vibrations of her words on his skin. She could feel Daniel brushing back hair from her face, and then his hand was cradling her face, and his calloused hands soft on her cheek. 

“Send me away,” Daniel’s voice was barely above a whisper, “If you don’t want this, send me away.”

“Daniel-” Her voice was closer to a sob than anything else. 

“If you don’t feel this,” Daniels' voice shook, and their lips were only inches apart; she must have moved closer, because he was frozen in place, “That’s okay, we can still be friends, partners, but I fell for you from the moment I saw you in my office, lying through your teeth, looking through my classified documents. Ever since that moment you have astounded me, constantly. Your bravery, your kindness, the way you made me laugh even when the world was tumbling around us. ”

Daisy opened her eyes. Daniel was looking at her with nothing short of devotion, and she wanted to believe it. She didn’t though, there was no way she could deserve this, but God, did she want to. Daisy opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. 

“Tell me you don’t feel this,” She could feel in every vibration of his that he was keeping himself from tumbling forward; like he wanted so badly to touch her, but wouldn’t until she said yes, yes, yes. 

“Tell me it’s all in my head and I will go.” Warmth bloomed deep in her stomach, as his voice dropped even lower, and it wasn’t fair that he could make her feel this way, with a few whispered words.

“Daniel,” His name sounded breathless on her lips.

“Daisy,” He said her name like a prayer, “If you let me, I would never let you go.”

She searched his eyes, just as deep brown as hers, and she looked for the lie. All she found was Daniel, standing in front of her, the perennial good man in the storm, telling her over and over again, in so many different ways that he loved her. 

And she loved him. How could she not love him. 

“Yes,” Daisy said, and she closed the distance between them, kissing him softly. For a moment, he stood frozen, like it was the last thing he expected. His lips were softer than she expected, and she was ready to melt, for that soft sunrise kind of kiss, but then Daniel kissed her back. 

Daniel kissed her back and it was like she was drowning. 

He didn’t kiss like she imagined he would, proper and upstanding, on a front porch after a nice date; a kiss that seemed like the right thing to do. He kissed her like he wouldn’t be able to breathe if they broke apart, like nothing could keep him from pulling her into his riptide. 

Daniel was kissing her like he was drowning, too. 

She could feel him everywhere, his hands started on her waist, and hips, and she could feel them burn through the thin cotton, as he held her a bit too tight to be gentle and she reveled in it. She wanted him to leave bruises, to leave her some proof that he touched her like this, that she had felt like this. 

She couldn’t help but press up against him, their chests close enough to feel, not just hear, every ragged beat of his heat. With her nails she scratched at the back of his neck, trying to bring them impossibly closer, a type of close that she knew wasn’t possible when they both had all of this fabric separating them.

When they broke apart, they tried to catch their breath, but it was like the air had been sucked from the room. 

“I can go,” Daniel’s voice was barely audible, but he stepped away, giving her room to breathe once more and she almost hated him for it. She wanted to feel that heady, airless feeling once again, and he was taking that away. Intellectually she understood. He was giving her an out. They had an intense day, and he probably thought she wasn’t thinking straight. 

If she wasn’t thinking straight, she didn’t want to ever again. 

Daisy tugged on the hem of her shirt with two lifting it above her head, as Daniel watched transfixed, his eyes following every inch of newly exposed skin like he was trying to commit it to memory. She threw her shirt to the side, and she should have felt exposed, half naked in front of Daniel, who was fully dressed and making no move to remove his own clothing. Instead she just felt in control, like she had Daniel under her rapture just as much as he had her under his. 

She waited for Daniel to move, but she realized with a warm and easy kind of realization, that he was waiting for her to say it, that he needed her to say it. 

Maybe she needed to say it too. 

“Stay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic will now be 7 chapters, and the last chapter will be Daniels POV! 
> 
> Thanks for everyone who has left kudos and especially comments. They really make my day and help motivate me!
> 
> <3 IzzieBee


	6. more

Daisy had always liked sex. 

She had been a wayward teenager, on her own way to young. Despite growing up at St. Agnes’s she wasn't a nun. She had liked booze and boys and sex was never a big deal. It was just something that was fun, something when it was done right made her toes curl, and that anxiety at the pit of her stomach ease. It was something that made her feel powerful and in control; living in her van she didn’t have much of either, so she took the opportunities when they came. 

What wasn’t to like? 

Since joining S.H.I.E.L.D and becoming an Inhuman, sex had become… Complicated. At first it was just finding privacy, not easy to come by on planes and underground bases, but it turned out finding suitable partners was even more difficult (her track record for boyfriends at this point was like 50% evil and/or criminal, which was disconcerting to say the least). 

Then when she became Inhuman the thing that made her feel in control and powerful just made her feel like she was falling a hundred feet down with no net in sight. All the vibrations that she felt became overwhelming, even as she was able to dull the vibrations of the world to background noise in her day to day life it was too much to ignore when she was with someone else. Those vibrations of someone else, someone touching her, ricocheted across her bones, invaded her consciousness. 

With Lincoln it had been nice, especially because he understood, the sparks under his skin were just as distracting as her quakes. There was no feeling of self consciousness, and the falling was still scary, but kind of exciting. She had loved him, and sometimes she even craved that feeling of being out of control (with Lincoln anyway). After Lincoln was gone, she wasn’t sure how she was going to be in a relationship, fair considering that she was still in love with her dead ex. It was more than that, though, she wasn’t sure if she could hook up again. 

When she left S.H.I.E.L.D right after Lincoln’s death, she got drunk in some crappy bar and kissed a stranger. Even that had felt too much, and she had almost quaked him away when he tried to touch the bare skin of her stomach, under her shirt. She had no moral quandaries with one night stands, but the idea of being that connected with someone, that vulnerable again, had made her skin crawl. She just convinced herself it was fine, that this part of her life was over and she was better for it, stronger for it. 

Daisy was so glad that she was wrong. 

(Not that this was a one night stand, not that she wasn’t in love with him, not that Daniel didn’t know her better than anyone ever had, despite only knowing him for months-) 

She didn’t expect to feel this good, this warm, this-

It was easy, in a way she hadn’t ever expected. She was sure that as soon as the vibrations started, skin on skin would be too intense and she would bolt; she had pushed these worries away because she wanted Daniel so bad, but then she forgot about them. 

He touched her reverently, but also like he wanted more, more, more, which was perfect because she was falling without that net and instead of being scared of where she would land, and she just wanted to see what was a few feet down. The vibrations of him and her, were just another point of connection. She knew what he felt before he moved, before he spoke- 

She had never felt this connected to anyone, even Lincoln, and she couldn’t even bring herself to feel guilty about it. 

Not to say that everything was roses, and romance novels, completely devoid of awkward moments. 

There were whispered, more than slightly worried questions, clothes being more complicated to remove in the heat of the moment, and even a discussion of birth control that she had never wanted to have with someone she was just about to have sex with didn’t dampen anything, or make it awkward. If she had to explain to her 1950’s, well, whatever Daniel was to her, what an IUD was, it was worth it when he proceeded to make her toes curl three times.

*That, though, just made her feel taken care of, all of it did. 

Daniel always took care of her. She had been so terrified of that, and she was right. Now that she knew what it was like, how was she ever going to go without it?)

At least Daniel seemed comfortable with pre-marital sex as a concept; if he had said he wasn’t comfortable she wouldn’t have pushed, of course, but she would have been put out. Maybe comfortable wasn’t a strong enough word because he was pretty enthusiastic about, well, everything. 

She kept falling, but she was pretty sure Daniel was just as deep in free fall. 

It was like that impeccable filter from his mouth to brain, that always knew what to say and not too, was turned off, and she got to listen to his running commentary of just how beautiful she was, just how good she felt, how he wanted to take her higher even as she kept falling down, down down, 

Every word vibrated against her skin, sending shockwaves through her nervous system, when it was already overloaded with the feeling of his skin, his bones, on hers. That would have been enough to completely unravel her, but mixed with all of the commentary on the wonders of the skin that connected her neck to her collarbone, and how much he wanted to make her feel good, like really good (which she had thoroughly enjoyed), other words slipped out that took away whatever breath was left. 

Precious. Miraculous. A wonder. 

He didn’t say he loved her, and for that she was grateful. It was all too much, and not enough, all wrapped in one. 

She couldn’t not be grateful, especially when it was all over, Daniel didn’t hesitate to pull her close, so that her face fit into the crook of his neck, and their legs were tangled together. It had been so long since she did this, just lay with someone; she hadn’t ever though she would get this again. She was pretty sure she would have fallen asleep to the vibrations of Daniel’s heart beating if he hadn’t started talking. 

“I can go,” Daniel whispered into her hair, so soft it was like he was hoping she wouldn’t hear him, “I should go, you probably don’t want me-”

“Do you want to go?” Daisy murmured, a little charmed that Daniel’s filter still seemed to be turned off, and she wondered how she could use that to her advantage in the future. 

“No.”

Daisy smiled harder into his neck. 

“Then don’t you dare.You are like the best pillow ever-

“I don’t want this to be a one time thing,” Daniel said so quickly some of the words blended together, and Daisy was so blissed out it took her a full five seconds to realize what he said. 

“Well technically it would have been a two time thing, three if you count-”

“Daisy.” Daniel sounded amused, but worry tinged his voice. Daniel looked up at him through her eyelashes and she realized with a pang that he wasn’t sure what she wanted. 

How could she be? He had done all the talking, she had just started taking her clothes off when the conversation got too real. Hell the most she had said since Daniel tried to tell her he loved her was explaining the science behind IUDs. 

“I don’t know what this is,” Daisy let out a shaky, unsteady sort of breath, and continued, “But I want more of it. Okay?”

“Yah,” Daniel smiled, moving some hair from her face, and pressing a kiss to the top of her head, “Daisy, okay.” 

The last thought before she fell asleep was, how could she have thought she could bury herself in intimacy of facts and figures, when she could have this. 

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Daisy woke up sprawled over Daniel like a starfish. Her legs were tangled with his, her head burrowed in his neck, and her arms burrowed around his shoulders like she was trying to break the laws of physics, and move them closer together. The only hint that Daniel wasn’t a passive participant of her clinging to him like some deranged koala, was one hand curled, resting on the small of her back, too low to be polite, and one hand threaded in her hair, like he had been playing with it right as he fell asleep. 

Daisy must have fallen asleep before him, she realized with a pleasant sort of ache. She could blame it one the (several) orgasms, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t that simple. 

He wasn’t awake, so she had the chance to just look at him, long and hard: the lines of his chest and arms, strong and sturdy, the sharp jawline, the long dark lashes that were almost delicate, and that salt and pepper hair that she always wanted to run her hands through (and she had, several times, the night before). 

Daniel would hate being called beautiful; that kind of made her want to tell him even more. 

“Good Morning, Daisy,” Daniel said, his eyes still closed. 

“You knew I was staring huh?” Daisy shook her head, pink tinging her cheeks, “S.H.I.E.L.D really did train y’all-” 

“You vibrate,” Daniel interrupted, his eyes open now, “Just a little bit, when your awake, you can’t feel it through clothes I think, but-”

“Skin on skin,” Daisy bit her lip, feeling a bit odd about the fact she felt self consciousness or awkwardness about being so intimately entwined together. 

“It dims when you fall asleep.” 

Daisy considered that, him holding her, feeling her vibrations slow. Was it comforting? Was it like the vibrations she felt now, all over her body, but especially where they were touching. She had never thought she would share this. It was one of the most isolating parts about being Inhuman, no one’s gift was the same, no one truly knew the joys and burdens of any other inhuman. 

And yet, Daniel knew, in this small way, what the vibrations of another person felt like. She curled a little closer to him. 

“I didn’t know that was my tell.” 

“Are you mad that I know?” His voice was even, and Daisy knew that wasn’t really what he was asking. 

“No.” 

“Good.” 

Daisy looked up and Daniel was smiling and it was a beautiful thing. 

But then the magnitude of this, of their near screaming match from the night before came crashing down. He had tried to tell her he loved her, after she told him over and over again that she needed to be alone. Then she took her clothes off and asked him to stay. Kept asking him to stay. He gave her so many outs, so many chances to push him away, and she didn’t take any of them. Instead she pulled him closer and let herself feel… everything. 

He knew so much about her now. It was more than knowing her biography, hell the rest of the Zephyr knew, most of them were there for the key chapters. No, it was more than that, he knew all of the things that kept her up at night, and he still was looking at her like she was…

Precious. Miraculous. A wonder. 

But they were also co-workers, living together on a very small Zephyr. They were shooting through space and time with abandon, and nowhere to hide. If this didn’t work out there would be nowhere to run. And that wasn’t even considering-

“What should we say,” Daisy blurted out, “To the others.” 

Jemma, her best friend in all respects, who had been dealt more bad cards than anyone and was still kind, still had her faith in science, the team, and a beautiful future with her and Fitz and their baby girl. May and Coulson, who had trained her, built her up, when no one else thought she was capable; the closest to parents she had ever had, and she knew she was lucky, because they were a hell of a lot better than most people ever got. Mack, her best partner in crime; she still believed they could rebuild The Secret Warriors, if he was there too. Yoyo with her rye smile and innuendos, God, Daisy had never laughed louder than when she started in with one of her (highly inappropriate) tales. Deke, with all his bluster and snark, who brought her lemon tea whenever she was sad (and never brought up the night with the half dozen lemons, and her crying over her dead ex-boyfriend again). Enoch, who loved Fitz and Jemma so much, that even if she didn’t like him, she would have loved him for that alone. 

She couldn’t lie to them, but they would all have so many… Opinions about all this. 

She could feel her heart rate raise, and all of May’s lessons seemed to have escaped her brain. 

“They are your family,” Daniel said, his voice the same sort of even, and it was like ice was spreading through her veins. Daisy pulled away from Daniel, immediately she missed the warmth. 

Why didn’t he have an opinion? Why didn’t he care? What was last night really? If he could be so cavalier about this, then he could- 

“And?” Daisy snapped. 

“You should decide,” Daniel said, his voice still calm, “Your family. Your choice.”

Daisy deflated, all bluster gone in a moment. Of course Daniel was being thoughtful, kind. He was giving her an out. Again and again he had shown how much he wanted her, and again he gave her the choice. 

One step forward or two steps back. 

He really did know her, didn’t he? 

Daniel was studying her, she could feel his eyes on her, and she felt like he was trying to read her mind. 

(After last night she wouldn’t be surprised if he could). 

“Right,” Daisy nodded, sitting up, pulling the sheet across her chest as she did, “Could we wait. I’m not ready for everyone to know and have an opinion. Yet.” 

“I’ll follow your lead,” Daniel said, and his hand was curled at the small of her back again, drawing slow circles. It took everything she had not to curl back around him. 

It was so much colder here, sitting by herself. 

“This isn’t going to come naturally to me” Daisy said, avoiding his gaze, “I am not going to be good at this, and if you were smart, you would run for the hills.”

“Do you want me to run?”

“Yes,” Daisy said quickly, but her heart sank almost immediately, “No.”

“Then I won’t run.” Daniel said like it was easy, like it was easy to make promises, like he knew he could keep them, “I meant it. I’m here until you send me away.” 

Daniel was sitting up now, tucking her wayward hair behind her ears, smoothing over the skin of her cheekbone with the pads of her thumb. With a start she realized he was wiping away tears; she had started to cry without realizing it. 

“This is scary,” Daisy said, closing her eyes, letting Daniel wrap around her, pulling her close, “For me.” 

“This scares me, too,” Daniel whispered, ran his hands through her hair, “Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give this a shot.” 

She hadn't really considered that it might be a risk for him, too. It made sense though, they both had been in love with people and that relationship ending in a moment, leaving them alone to pick up the pieces. They were both out of there element, but Daniel was literally out of time. But he was so steady, but he was so sure- 

She almost asked ‘why me’, why was she the one who made it worth the risk. She didn’t though. She was pretty sure he would give her an earnest answer, with those deep brown eyes looking into hers, and she wouldn’t quite believe him. 

Daisy wanted, too, though. She wanted to be the person who Daniel was in love with. 

That was something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOOOOOO..... I keep saying this fic is going to be like, a chapter shorter than it ends up being! I actually think it's going to be 8 chapters, but we'll see lol!
> 
> Thanks for all the support for this fic! Please leave comments and kudos :) 
> 
> <3 Izzie


	7. one of the few things

One thing they don’t tell you about being a superhero is that there is a lot of waiting. Mind numbing, and yet, still anxiety ratcheting, almost unbearable, want to rip off your own skin waiting. They were mid mission and Daisy had already waited in the mess, in her bunk, in the control room, and now she was waiting in the cockpit, staring out through the glass at a black, starless night. She was staring like she could will stars to appear, or the sun to come up.

“What’s the first thing you want to do,” Daniel asked, leaning against the doorway looking like some roguish hero in one of his 1940s movies, “When this is all over?”

He could be so serious, she always thought she was going to be the stoic one.

“Sex on the beach,” Daisy drawled; she had been so wound up, only seconds before, but how could she not tease him, when he was standing there, all earnest and handsome with his hands shoved in pockets like he was asking her to prom. He threw her a half concerned, half interested look, and she had to suppress a grin. 

“It’s a drink,” She batted her eyelashes, all faux innocence. 

“Maybe,” Daniel rolled his eyes, but he was smiling too, “But that’s not what you meant.” 

“Guilty.” He was the only person who was guaranteed to do that anymore, make her laugh when she was determined not to. 

“Seriously though. We know where Fitz is now and you know we will figure out how to get him back.” Daisy smiled at that. He had such a certainty, that things would work out. Despite all of the tragedies in his life he had faith in humanity, faith in S.H.I.E.L.D., faith in her, most surprisingly of all. 

“The chromicons are on their last leg,” Daniel continued, “This isn’t going to be our life forever-”

A shiver went down her spine when he said ‘our life’. To Daisy’s surprise she didn’t feel any dread or discomfort, just something warm blooming deep in her chest. 

“There is going to be an after,” His voice was so soft it was almost tender, and she suddenly couldn’t look straight at him, “What do you want to do?” 

“This has been my whole life,” Her eyes were watery, and her voice was raw; she didn’t know why this was hitting her like this. Daniel was right, there was going to be after but she had no idea what comes next. “I just don’t know.” 

“That’s okay, Daisy,” He said it like he meant it, and when she looked at him there was no judgment and just love. If she was better than she was she would have taken the opportunity to say I love you. 

She didn’t. 

“What do you want to do,” Daisy murmured, wiping at her eyes, “After.”

Daniel didn’t say anything, but the way he was looking at her said everything. He kept doing that, looking at her and knocking the breath out of her lungs. 

“Okay,” Daisy nodded, looking away, but she smiled, again, despite herself, “Okay.” 

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Daisy and Daniel had been sneaking around since that first night. She hadn’t been ready, and he, of course, was perennially respectful. Even as she got more comfortable with this thing between them, she wasn’t ready for everything else that came with the team knowing. She wasn’t ready for the shovel talks; she wasn’t sure whose side the team would be on; they loved her sure, but they had quickly and surely been smitten with Daniel, not that she could blame them. There was also the litany of questions from Jemma that were sure to be embarrassing or Deke’s doleful, hurt puppy dog eyes (he had to be over her by now right?) 

The team was her family, and she loved her family, but she wasn’t sure she could handle a change in their dynamic, not right now, not with everything they had at stake. So she put aside wanting to hold hands with Daniel all the time,\ like she was sixteen with a new boyfriend who she always wanted to touch. 

She thought they had been doing a good job of it, all things considered. Sure Daniel snuck into her bunk nearly every night, and for a spy he wasn’t particularly stealthy or good at lying (which brought her some irrational joy), and Daisy had a habit of dragging Daniel into broom closets to make out when she was stressed (and she was always stressed). Still, they were both spies, and the team were all busy with their own lives, no one was going to bother figuring them out. 

Turned out she was wrong. 

“I’m happy for you,” Jemma said mildly, looking up at her briefly, before turning back to her microscope. 

“For what?” Daisy said, not bothering to look up from her computer where she had been completely focused on a nasty bit of code. 

“For you and Daniel,” She had been so focused on this one line she almost didn’t register what Jemma said. When she did, she kept her eyes trained on her computer, hoping Jemma wouldn’t notice the heat rising on her cheeks. 

“I don’t know what you're talking about.” 

“There was a day last week were everytime Daniel even glanced at you he blushed,” Jemma said, her voice light, almost laughing, “Kind of like right now-”

That might have something to do with a promise of what she was wearing or not wearing. Maybe she was giving her and Daniel too much credit when it came to sneaking around. 

“Well, that’s-” Daisy started to bluster, but Jemma kept plowing on. 

“And you keep disappearing at odd times and coming back with this look on your face like you just had a really good-”

“That doesn’t mean-” Daisy’s voice rose, hoping to drown out whatever Jemma was thinking (it wasn’t like she was wrong, but she so wasn’t ready for this conversation).

“And I saw you kissing in the mess this morning when I went in to make some tea,” Jemma shot her a stern look. 

“Oh,” She winced, “Sorry.” 

“Don’t apologize,” Jemma said, just as stern, and Daisy avoided her gaze. It was like she was waiting for her to say something, but she had no idea what to do next. 

“Seriously,” Jemma cocked her head to the side, regarding her, “This is a good thing.” 

Daisy loved her, she really did, but Jemma knew her too well. She couldn’t just lie and brush her off. She could try, but Jemma, well, Jemma was a lot more tenacious than anyone gave her credit for. 

“He makes me really happy,” Daisy shrugged. She bit her lip, and almost didn’t say the next part, “I don’t know what to do.”

“You deserve to be happy, if anyone does, it’s you,” Jemma looked wistful, and she almost wished they were back at the beginning, when S.H.I.E.L.D was whole, or there was the illusion that it was. The team sitting in the back of the bus, watching a rocket launch into orbit. 

They were so young, then. So much had changed. 

Jemma was wrong. Fitzsimmons, if anyone deserved to be happy it was the two of them. 

“Thanks, Jemma,” Daisy threw her a watery smile and they both went back to her work. Jemma didn’t bring it up again, but every once in a while she would look at Daniel and Daisy a bit wistfully. She didn’t think it was possible to be more motivated to find Fitz, but that managed it. 

After Jemma she should have known the jig was up, but they kept sneaking around. Well, she decided they should keep sneaking around. When she told Daniel in her bunk later, and of course he left it up to her whether or not they should tell everyone else. She was grateful and all, but sometimes he was so kind and respectful, it made her feel like an asshole. Especially when she knew her decision wasn’t what Daniel wanted. 

“Just because Jemma’s cool with it,” Daisy reasoned to Daniel, her hand gripping her comforter and avoiding his eyes, “Doesn’t mean everyone else will. I just need-” 

“A little more time,” Daniel supplied, with a sad sort of smile, “Daisy, it’s okay.” 

Daisy couldn’t meet his eye the rest of the night, and for the first time and weeks Daniel retreated to his own bedroom. She almost went and dragged him back when she couldn’t fall asleep, missing his steady presence, his arms wrapped around her waist, the soft vibrations of his blood being pumped through his vein. 

She let him be. 

He was sleeping in her bunk again, the night after, but she knew from then on that this secret wasn’t meant to last. 

This time she was right. 

Not more than a week later they were all in the Mess, the odd time when they all had a moment to relax and had gravitated together. Deke, Jemma and Mack were playing some sort of card game from the future that had too many rules to follow. May was reading, something other than reports for once, and Coulson was fiddling with some bit of machinery for Lola. Daniel was supposed to be making tea, but he kept glancing at Daisy who was looking for cookies she stashed in the highest shelf (did she know that her shirt kept riding up dangerously, yes, did she know that Daniel was very interested when it did, also yes). 

Suddenly the quiet equilibrium was broken: May threw her book halfway across the room. 

“Get a room,” May said, looking sick to her stomach, “Or stop looking at each other please.”

“I don’t-” Daniel’s eye’s darted, from May to Daisy and back again, looking pointedly at the floor. He was looking more than a little green for good measure. Well, any question over who May was talking about went straight out the window. 

“She doesn’t need to touch you anymore.” Yoyo said, not looking up from her magazine, “To feel emotions.” 

“Well that seems like important information,” Daisy looked at the ceiling and tried to think of anything but Daniel, “We could have known before-”

“Not helping,” May was shaking her head, looking more worked up than Daisy had seen in literally years, “I’m just going to go over here.”

May marched out of the Mess, leaving Daisy gapping in her wake. 

“Daisy,” Coulson said mildly, and she could tell he was trying to suppress a smile, “Do you have something to tell the class?”

“Daisy,” Daniel looked stricken, one hand out like he could keep the team at bay, “You don’t have to-”

“Me and Daniel are seeing each other,” Daisy said, quickly, “He’s my boyfriend or whatever. Can we move on, please?”

“Yah, sure Tremors,” Mack said nodding thoughtfully. Yoyo nodded approvingly, and Daisy had a feeling she was going to get interrogated about the particulars in the near future. Deke hadn’t said anything, but when she looked over he threw her a quick smile before looking away, she felt a pang in her stomach. It was inevitable, but she never wanted to hurt him. Jemma had darted away after throwing Daisy a brilliant smile, probably to check on May or to not have to hide her giggles. 

She felt Daniel come over before she saw him. She was avoiding looking at him, to be honest; that was how they got in this mess in the first place. 

“You okay,” Daniel’s face was scrunched up in concern, “I know you didn’t want everyone to know-”

“I knew it was a lost cause as soon as Jemma figured it out,” Daisy shrugged, “Love her to death, but she’s a god awful liar.”

“Daisy-”

“I’m okay,” Daisy said, and to her surprise, she meant it “Okay?”

“Yah,” Daniel murmured, “Okay.” 

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The sex got even better, which was borderline annoying. 

Like she was happy about it, don’t get her wrong. If they were still hiding their relationship she would have been worried about being outed because her mood had improved so much. It was distracting, though. How was she supposed to be motivated to keep working on hour seven of a difficult hack when she knew she could drag Daniel into her bunk, and feel this good? 

“I won’t break,” Daisy gasped, after another amazing round, but she still felt a thrum of adrenaline coursing through her. He was so respectful, so kind and gentle, and the sex was good, but right now she had an itch and she just knew that Daniel could scratch it, that he could make her feel so good that he was the only thing on her mind. 

“Yah, but I might,” He was half joking, half serious and that was so endearing she almost wanted to start kissing him and never stopping. She didn’t though, she had something else on her mind. 

“Don’t worry,” Daisy teased, flipping them over, soundly, “I’ll be gentle.” 

Daniel groaned, and pulled her down, hands on her neck, kissing her, hard. Soon his lips were moving from right below her neck, moving down, down, down. 

“I don’t believe you,” Daniel murmured into the hollow of her collarbone “for a second.” 

He wasn’t so gentle after that. 

That’s why, she told herself, she kept asking him to spend the night. Her room was retrofitted for her quakes, his wasn’t. Soon Daniel had all but moved into her bunk, and she rationalized it was because of the sex, all of the sex, the toe curling, make her thank God (and she was like 90% sure she was an athiest) sex. 

It wasn’t about the sex. 

Well it wasn’t just about the sex. She just wanted to be around him all the time. Half the time they were so tired, they both just flopped into bed, barely removing their shoes, but even then his arms found their way around her middle, and she slept. She never used to fall asleep so easy, not since before S.H.I.E.L.D, and everything that came with it. 

✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴

They saved the world. 

Again. 

They got Fitz back and they lost Enoch in the process, there was so much celebration, and so much grief that she didn’t know for days if she was about to burst out laughing or into tears. 

And then there was Daniel. 

He was there by her side for all of it. She might have saved the world, but it was Daniel by her side making sure she survived, building her up, and supporting her as the team second guessed themselves, tensions rising and infighting breaking out. The team healed of course, made amends and apologized. They were family, they were unbreakable, but it didn’t mean they didn’t try sometimes. 

But Daniel, she never had to worry about Daniel. 

He was just always there, steady, never wavering. He was the one to pull her out of the rubble, but it was when he found Fitz, and reunited Fitzimmons once and for all, that she almost told him “I love you”. 

She wasn’t ready though, not yet. 

(She was closer to ready than she ever thought possible).

✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴

Daisy looked over at Daniel, and behind him the sun was rising. The light refracted from the Zephyrs windows and she swore that she could feel the heat on her skin. She missed that, when they had long stretches on the Zephyr without trips to earth, something that had become common place recently, the feeling of the sun on her skin. 

What would be the first thing she did, when she was back on Earth, back in her own time? The war was won, and now they had to go home. Or they got to go home, depending on who you asked. Thoughts of strawberry ice cream, a bath with candles and a bath bomb, a stiff drink at an actual bar, even just coding in some trashy dinner swirled around her head. 

“What do you want to do first?” Daisy asked, echoing Daniel’s question from months before. They had all this time; it was stretching in front of them. 

“No idea,” Daniel pressed a soft kiss on her temple, “I don’t know what to expect from your time.”

If this was all daunting for her, she couldn’t imagine what he was thinking. A new life, a new time. He talked about purpose sometimes, about the importance of having one. She had never met someone who so readily said that their purpose was to support others. He knew he wanted to make the world better, and he said he was going to do that by helping up those who kept insisting on running into walls.

(People like Daisy, went unsaid, but she had felt the comment warm in the pit of her stomach, anyways). 

“It’s not so bad,” She shrugged, grinning, thinking about a whole new world she got to show him, “You’ll love some things. Hate others.”

“Sounds like 1955.” Daisy laughed at that. 

“You’re not wrong.”

“That’s so unlike me,” His face was so stoic she broke out in giggles. He still made her feel like everything shiny and new, despite the fact that whatever was happening between them was going on five months (it was going on even earlier than that, but that was a whole other conversation). 

“Want me to show you around L.A.,” She said, her voice more earnest than she usually lets it be, “My L.A.?”

Daniel squared his shoulders, turning so that he was fully facing her, his face serious. He could be so serious, it made her want to laugh, and God, it was nice not to be the stoic one all the time.

“I’ll go wherever you go.”

He did that, and said exactly what he meant. No irony, no bluster, and she still didn’t know how to react. 

“Sap,” Daisy said affectionately, and she was relieved when Daniel smiled back a bright smile that he reserved just for her. 

“That’s me.” 

Daisy reached out and took Daniel's hand, threading their fingers together as she did. She needed a moment to think of what to say next, and she knew that Daniel would give her that. She knew he would give her anything if she asked. 

So Daisy took a moment: what did she want to do. 

She wanted to go to dive bars, dingy dinners, maybe even sit on a beach and do nothing but drink frilly drinks and feel the sun on her skin. That wasn’t surprising, but what was, was Daniel. He was in every image, every thought of the next few weeks; drinking Scotch he loved and she thought tasted disgusting, or Daniel letting her steal his fries, or most tempting of all Daniel trying not to stare at her in a bikini, and failing miserably. 

It wasn’t just the next few weeks, though. She wanted Daniel a year from now, or ten years from now. She wanted date nights at movie theaters where they spend half the movie making out like teenagers. She wanted to move into an apartment and argue about paint colors, and eat take out on the floor before they get any furniture. She wanted to rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D. or Afterlife, or something completely new with him. She wanted him so much, and in every way and she didn’t deserve this, but for once that wasn’t going to stop her. 

“I want to go where you go, too,” Daisy said, her voice raw, and thready, but loud enough that there was no mistaking her words.

Daniel smiled and it cracked her open. 

She wanted to say I love you. She should have said I love you, but that fear was still rooted in the pit of her stomach, and she hated it. She pushed that aside for now, and Daisy focused on the feeling of Daniels skin vibrating between her fingers, the pleasant thrum of him, whole and alive and beautiful (even if he hated it when she called him that). 

They sat for a while, the silence steady and warm, and Daisy thought how lucky she was just to walk a ways with Daniel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter!!! Daniel's POV :) Please let me know what you thought! 
> 
> <3 IzzieBee


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